action research project for b ed students in social science

200+ Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students [Updated 2024]

Starting your B.Ed journey is exciting for future teachers. One crucial aspect of this academic pursuit is action research – a dynamic process that bridges theory and practice, allowing students to delve into real-world educational challenges. In this blog, we will explore the significance of action research topics for b.ed students, shed light on the criteria for selecting engaging topics, and provide a comprehensive list of actionable research ideas.

Understanding Action Research in B.Ed

Table of Contents

Action research is not merely a theoretical concept; it’s a practical approach that encourages educators to actively engage in systematic inquiry to improve teaching and learning. In the context of B.Ed programs, it serves as a bridge between academic knowledge and the challenges faced in actual classrooms. 

This methodology empowers future educators to become reflective practitioners, constantly refining their teaching strategies based on evidence and experience.

How to Select Action Research Topics?

Selecting action research topics is a crucial step that can significantly impact the success and relevance of your research. Here’s a simplified guide on how to choose action research topics:

• Identify Your Passion and Interests:
• Consider what aspects of education or teaching excite you the most.
• Reflect on your own experiences as a student or any challenges you’ve observed in educational settings.
• Align with B.Ed Curriculum:
• Ensure your chosen topic aligns with the curriculum of your B.Ed program.
• Examine your course materials and note any places where you can put theoretical ideas to use in practical situations.
• Address Current Educational Issues:
• Keep informed on contemporary issues and developments in education.
• Choose a topic that addresses a relevant and pressing issue in the field, contributing to ongoing discussions.
• Consider Feasibility:
• Assess the feasibility of your research topic within the constraints of time and resources.
• Ensure that the scope of your research is manageable and can be realistically implemented.
• Potential for Impact:
• Evaluate the potential impact of your research on teaching and learning.
• Aim for topics that have practical implications and can bring about positive changes in educational practices.
• Consult with Mentors and Instructors:
• Seek guidance from your mentors, instructors, or advisors.
• Discuss your ideas with them to receive valuable insights and suggestions for refining your research topic.
• Brainstorm and Research:
• Make a list of possible subjects that fit the above-mentioned requirements and correspond with your interests.
• Conduct preliminary research to ensure there is enough existing literature and resources to support your chosen topic.
• Narrow Down Your Options:
• Evaluate each potential topic based on relevance, feasibility, and potential impact.
• Narrow down your options to one or two topics that best meet the criteria and align with your goals.
• Ensure Personal Connection:
• Select a subject that speaks to you personally. Your passion and commitment to the subject will enhance the quality of your research.
• Get Feedback:
• Share your shortlisted topics with peers, mentors, or classmates.
• Gather feedback to ensure your chosen topic is well-received and has support within your academic community.

200+ Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students: Category Wise

Classroom management and discipline.

• The impact of positive reinforcement on student behavior.
• Strategies for managing disruptive behavior in the classroom.
• The effectiveness of peer mediation in resolving conflicts among students.
• Creating a culturally responsive approach to classroom discipline.
• Investigating the influence of classroom layout on student behavior.
• Implementing restorative justice practices in schools.
• Examining the role of teacher-student relationships in classroom discipline.
• Assessing the impact of mindfulness practices on student behavior.

Teaching Strategies and Methods

• Differentiating instruction to meet diverse learning needs.
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in enhancing student engagement.
• Exploring flipped classroom models in B.Ed teaching.
• Investigating the impact of cooperative learning strategies.
• Adapting teaching methods for students with diverse learning styles.
• The use of educational technology in improving learning outcomes.
• The impact of inquiry-based learning on critical thinking skills.
• Exploring the effectiveness of outdoor education.

Student Engagement and Motivation

• Investigating factors influencing student motivation in mathematics.
• The role of extracurricular activities in promoting student engagement.
• Strategies for fostering a growth mindset in students.
• Enhancing student motivation through gamification in education.
• Investigating the impact of teacher enthusiasm on student motivation.
• The role of peer collaboration in increasing student engagement.
• Examining the impact of culturally relevant teaching on student motivation.
• Strategies for motivating unmotivated students in the classroom.

Assessment and Evaluation

• The impact of formative assessment on student learning outcomes.
• Investigating the effectiveness of self-assessment in student evaluation.
• Strategies for reducing bias in assessment and grading.
• Exploring alternative methods for assessing student creativity.
• The impact of standardized testing on student stress levels.
• Designing authentic assessments for real-world application.
• Investigating the role of feedback in student performance improvement.
• Strategies for promoting self-regulated learning through assessment.

Inclusive Education

• The effectiveness of inclusive classrooms in promoting diversity.
• Strategies for supporting students with learning disabilities.
• Investigating the impact of inclusive education on peer relationships.
• Creating an inclusive curriculum for students with diverse needs.
• The role of teacher attitudes in promoting inclusive practices.
• Strategies for addressing unconscious bias in the classroom.
• The impact of inclusive education on the social-emotional development of students.
• Designing inclusive assessments for all learners.

Parent and Community Involvement

• The role of parental involvement in student academic achievement.
• Strategies for enhancing communication between teachers and parents.
• Investigating the impact of community partnerships on student success.
• Creating a positive home-school connection for student support.
• Strategies for involving parents in students’ homework and study routines.
• The role of community resources in addressing student needs.
• Examining the impact of parent-teacher conferences on student performance.
• Strategies for involving parents in school decision-making.

English Language Learning (ELL)

• The impact of language immersion programs on ELL student outcomes.
• Strategies for supporting ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
• Investigating the effectiveness of bilingual education programs.
• Creating a culturally responsive approach to teaching English.
• The role of technology in supporting ELL students.
• Strategies for promoting language development in ELL students.
• Exploring the impact of teacher attitudes on ELL student success.
• The effectiveness of language support programs for ELL students.

Special Education

• Strategies for promoting inclusive practices in special education.
• Investigating the impact of assistive technology on student learning.
• Creating individualized education plans (IEPs) for student success.
• The role of teacher collaboration in supporting special education students.
• Strategies for addressing behavioral challenges in special education settings.
• The impact of inclusive classrooms on students with autism spectrum disorders.
• Investigating the effectiveness of speech and language therapy in schools.
• Creating sensory-friendly environments for special education students.

Educational Leadership

• The impact of distributed leadership on school culture.
• Strategies for fostering teacher leadership in schools.
• Investigating the role of school leadership in teacher retention.
• Creating a positive school climate through effective leadership.
• The impact of professional development on leadership skills.
• Strategies for promoting shared decision-making in schools.
• Investigating the role of emotional intelligence in educational leadership.
• The effectiveness of mentorship programs for new teachers.

Classroom Environment

• Investigating the impact of classroom aesthetics on student well-being.
• Strategies for creating a positive and inclusive classroom climate.
• The role of flexible seating arrangements in student engagement.
• Designing a culturally responsive classroom environment.
• Investigating the impact of classroom lighting on student focus.
• Strategies for promoting a sense of belonging in the classroom.
• The effectiveness of incorporating nature in the classroom.
• Investigating the role of classroom layout on collaborative learning.

Technology Integration

• Strategies for integrating digital literacy skills into the curriculum.
• Investigating the impact of virtual reality in educational settings.
• Creating a responsible approach to social media use in education.
• The role of online platforms in promoting student collaboration.
• Strategies for addressing the digital divide in schools.
• Investigating the impact of blended learning on student outcomes.
• The effectiveness of gamified learning apps in the classroom.
• Exploring the use of artificial intelligence in education.

Professional Development

• Strategies for promoting ongoing professional development for teachers.
• Investigating the impact of peer mentoring on teacher effectiveness.
• The role of teacher collaboration in professional growth.
• Designing effective workshops for teacher skill enhancement.
• Investigating the impact of reflective practices on teacher development.
• Strategies for addressing burnout and promoting teacher well-being.
• The role of action research in teacher professional development.
• The effectiveness of online professional development courses.

Literacy Development

• Investigating the impact of reading interventions on struggling readers.
• Strategies for promoting literacy across subject areas.
• The role of parental involvement in promoting early literacy.
• Exploring the impact of storytelling on language development.
• Strategies for addressing literacy challenges in diverse student populations.
• The effectiveness of using technology in literacy instruction.
• Investigating the impact of library programs on student reading habits.
• Promoting a love for reading through innovative literacy initiatives.

Mathematics Education

• Strategies for promoting conceptual understanding in mathematics.
• Investigating the impact of real-world applications in math instruction.
• The role of formative assessment in improving math performance.
• Designing effective math interventions for struggling students.
• Investigating the impact of technology in mathematics education.
• Strategies for promoting a growth mindset in math learning.
• The effectiveness of collaborative learning in math classrooms.
• Investigating the role of teacher enthusiasm in math engagement.

Science Education

• Strategies for promoting hands-on learning in science classrooms.
• Investigating the impact of outdoor education on science understanding.
• The role of inquiry-based learning in science education.
• Designing effective science experiments for student engagement.
• Investigating the impact of STEM programs on student interest.
• Strategies for promoting environmental education in schools.
• The effectiveness of science fairs in promoting scientific inquiry.
• Investigating the role of teacher modeling in science instruction.

Social Studies Education

• Strategies for promoting critical thinking in social studies.
• Investigating the impact of project-based learning in social studies.
• The role of cultural sensitivity in social studies curriculum.
• Designing effective field trips for social studies education.
• Investigating the impact of current events in social studies instruction.
• Strategies for addressing bias in social studies textbooks.
• The effectiveness of using primary sources in social studies classes.
• Investigating the role of debate in social studies learning.

Arts Education

• Strategies for integrating the arts into STEM education.
• Investigating the impact of arts education on overall academic achievement.
• The role of arts education in promoting creativity and innovation.
• Designing effective arts programs for students with diverse abilities.
• Investigating the impact of music education on cognitive development.
• Strategies for promoting inclusivity in arts education.
• The effectiveness of drama and theater in enhancing student communication skills.
• Investigating the role of visual arts in fostering cultural awareness.

Physical Education

• Strategies for promoting lifelong fitness habits in students.
• Investigating the impact of physical education on academic performance.
• The role of technology in enhancing physical education classes.
• Designing effective physical education programs for students with disabilities.
• Investigating the impact of outdoor activities on physical and mental well-being.
• Strategies for promoting teamwork and cooperation in physical education.
• The effectiveness of mindfulness practices in physical education.
• Investigating the role of physical activity in reducing stress among students.

Health Education

• Strategies for promoting health literacy in schools.
• Investigating the impact of nutrition education on student habits.
• The role of mental health education in schools.
• Designing effective sex education programs for diverse student populations.
• Investigating the impact of mindfulness practices on student well-being.
• Strategies for addressing substance abuse education in schools.
• The effectiveness of peer-led health education programs.
• Investigating the role of physical activity in promoting overall health.

Environmental Education

• Strategies for promoting environmental literacy in schools.
• Investigating the impact of outdoor education on environmental awareness.
• The role of sustainability education in the curriculum.
• Designing effective environmental science programs.
• Investigating the impact of school gardens on student learning.
• Strategies for promoting eco-friendly practices in schools.
• The effectiveness of community-based environmental projects.
• Investigating the role of technology in environmental education.

Early Childhood Education

• Strategies for promoting play-based learning in early childhood.
• Investigating the impact of parental involvement in early education.
• The role of early literacy development in overall academic success.
• Designing effective transition programs for kindergarten readiness.
• Investigating the impact of technology in early childhood classrooms.
• Strategies for promoting social-emotional development in young children.
• The effectiveness of inclusive practices in early childhood education.
• Investigating the role of outdoor play in early childhood development.

Higher Education

• Strategies for promoting student engagement in college classrooms.
• Investigating the impact of online learning on student outcomes.
• The role of mentorship programs in supporting college students.
• Designing effective study skills programs for university success.
• Investigating the impact of student support services on retention.
• Strategies for addressing mental health challenges in higher education.
• The effectiveness of peer-led tutoring programs.
• Investigating the role of technology in higher education.

Educational Policy and Reform

• Strategies for promoting teacher involvement in policy development.
• Investigating the impact of standardized testing on educational equity.
• The role of teacher evaluation systems in promoting professional growth.
• Designing effective professional development policies for educators.
• Investigating the impact of inclusive education policies on student outcomes.
• Strategies for addressing school funding disparities.
• The effectiveness of school choice programs in improving education.
• Investigating the role of community involvement in educational policy.

Global Education

• Strategies for promoting global citizenship in classrooms.
• Investigating the impact of international exchange programs on student perspectives.
• The role of technology in connecting students globally.
• Designing effective multicultural education programs.
• Investigating the impact of global issues in the curriculum.
• Strategies for promoting cultural competence in teacher education.
• The effectiveness of language immersion programs in promoting global awareness.
• Investigating the role of service learning in global education.

Teacher Well-being

• Strategies for promoting teacher well-being and mental health.
• Investigating the impact of work-life balance on teacher effectiveness.
• The role of professional development in reducing teacher burnout.
• Designing effective stress management programs for educators.
• Investigating the impact of school leadership on teacher job satisfaction.
• Strategies for addressing teacher turnover in schools.
• The effectiveness of mindfulness practices in reducing teacher stress.
• Investigating the role of supportive school environments in teacher well-being .

Steps to Conduct Action Research in B.Ed

To embark on a successful action research journey, B.Ed students should follow a structured process:

• Formulating a Clear Research Question: Clearly define the problem or challenge you aim to address.
• Conducting a Literature Review: Explore existing research to inform and contextualize your study.
• Designing the Research Methodology: Plan the research approach, including data collection methods and analysis.
• Collecting and Analyzing Data: Gather relevant data and analyze it to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Drawing Conclusions and Making Recommendations: Synthesize your findings and propose actionable recommendations.

Benefits of Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students

Engaging in action research offers numerous benefits for B.Ed students:

• Professional Development Opportunities: Action research enhances educators’ professional growth by fostering a reflective and iterative approach to teaching.
• Enhancing Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills: Students develop strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills as they navigate real-world educational challenges.
• Contributing to the Improvement of Teaching Practices: Action research enables educators to actively contribute to the continuous improvement of teaching practices within their classrooms and beyond.

In conclusion, action research is a powerful tool that empowers B.Ed students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. By carefully selecting relevant and engaging topics, students can embark on a transformative journey that not only enhances their academic experience but also contributes to the broader field of education. 

As we encourage B.Ed students to explore and engage in meaningful Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students, we pave the way for a future generation of educators committed to continuous improvement and excellence in teaching.

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Action Research Project for B.Ed Students in Social Science

Are you looking for an action research project for B.ed students in social science ? In this article, we will provide an action research project for b.ed students in social science.

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Social science can be regarded as one of the important areas of the educational field. The main aspects of social science are to study the human relationship. Social science is the subject of a unique combination of various subjects like History, Political science, Geography, Economics, Civics, and  Sociology. It covers all the human activities in various fields.

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The beginning of the tradition of social science has been one of the major development of the story of their own could get recognition as a social service only in the 19 th century. Thinkers and writers such as Herodotus, Aristotle, Manu,  Kautilya’s Arthasastra, and many others had written treaties on different areas of social science more than 2000 years ago.

Social science is a common core subject for all primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary educational programs. Learning in the subject, therefore, made as relevant as possible for pupils by adapting the subject to the different educational programs.

INTRODUCTION TO ACTION RESEARCH

Action research is a philosophy and methodology of research generally applied in social science. It seeks transformative change through the simultaneous process of taking action and doing research, which is linked together by critical reflection.

Kurt Lewin, a professor at MIT, first coined the term, “action research” in 1944.In his 1946 paper “Action Research and Minority Problems” he described action research as “a comparative research on the conditions  and effects of various forms of social action” that uses “a spiral of steps, each of which is composed of a circle of planning, action and fact-finding about the result of the action”

Dennis Agyei (2019) Takoradi  Technical University, defines Action Research as a type of research for practitioners to acquire and help in the field of work in order to solve a problem. Action research practitioners reflect upon the consequences of their own questions, beliefs,  assumptions, and practices with the goals of understanding, developing, and improving social practices.

Action research enlists others and works to create a democratic sharing of voice to achieve a deeper understanding of collective actions. It is a process of sharing findings with the community of researchers. This can be done in many ways, in journals, on websites, in books, in videos or at conferences.

Action research involves actively participating in a change situation, often via an existing organization, whilst simultaneously conducting research. It can also be undertaken by a larger organization or institution, assisted or guided by professional researchers, with the aim of improving their strategies, practices and knowledge of the environments within which they practice.

As designers and stakeholders, researchers work with others to propose a new course of action to help their community improve its work practices. Depending upon the nature of the people involved in the action research as well as person(s) organizing it, there are different ways of describing action research.

• Collaborative Action Research
• Participatory Action Research
• Community-Based Action Research
• Youth Action Research
• Action Research and Action learning
• Participatory Action Learning and Action Research
• Collective Action Research
• Action Science
• Living theory Action Research

1.2 CONCEPTUAL OR THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Social science is a very important and academic discipline concerned with the study of the social life of human groups including Economics, History, Geography, Civics, Psychology, and Sociology, etc.

The beginning of the tradition of social science has been one of the major development of  the story of their own could get the recognition as social science only in the 19 th century.

Social science is a major category of academic discipline with society and relationship among individuals within a society in terms has many branches each of which is considered social science in a wider sense social science also includes some field of humanities.

Social science traces for the children the fascinating story of how man has developed through age; how his/her life has been influenced by the environment, how our institutions have grown out of the past, how man has struggled with this environment in the past how he/she struggling today, man used or misused his/her power and resources and above all the essential unity of civilization.

Social science aims at breaking the habit of putting knowledge into water-tight compartments, leveled history, Geography, Civics, Economics and Political science, etc.

Social science includes that material which is conductive to the development of a well informed, intelligent person who is capable of comprehending property the current problems is keen to except responsibilities as a citizen for the welfare of all and has developed insights skills and moral qualities which are so essential and desirable in a democratic society.

As society becomes more complex and advances in technology man constructed social science. A lot of innovation emanated different perspectives some of such innovation includes, change in shelter, transportation ,use of products, culture, social institutions socialization and change in education.

In other sense to cope up with the changes/innovation in social science, the subject was introduced to secondary school  curriculum.  Hence, secondary schools are the level where rudiments of social science are taught.

This study is therefore aimed at looking into problems of low achievements in social sciences with a view to providing solutions to them. It is the purpose of the research that recommendation that would be made based on the findings would help to overcome the situation.

Chiodo and Byford (2004) wrote that an attitude persists among many students that social science classes are dull, boring, and irrelevant to their lives. Many educators are pressured into teaching curriculum that has narrowed to meet the demand of high-stakes testing.

High-stakes testing; especially in social science creates a curriculum that focuses on root memorization of fact and the thought that social science classes are the education of historical fact. Bigelow,1999; Pahl,2003; Van Hover,2006) Students learn best when they are interested in the content and find the material relevant to their lived experiences. According to the researcher, the focus of their dissertations in practice will analyze the impact of inquiry-based learning in the social studies classroom through an action research study.

SIGNIFICANCE OR RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

This study will help to prevent or decrease the low achievement of social science among the students. Social science is a very important subject. Having low achievement in social science would lead to a failure of adjusting to society.

This study can help the teachers to reflects upon and analysis their way of functioning they can try out innovation practice for their better performance, who work in the field of teaching social science  to avoid poor achievement and to find solution to this problem.

The suggestions and recommendations made in the later part of the study would highlight the areas that need to be given more attention in the teaching and learning of social sciences in secondary school.

The result of the research work would undoubtedly enable the social science teachers to improve the teaching methods and effective use of teaching aids. It would emphasize the need for students to show more interest in the subjects.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the research study is to determine the probable cause which influences the problem of low achievement in the subject of social science and to find out some immediate strategies and measures to tackle the problem, particularly to the students of class IX of Guru Nanak Model High School.

The study is aimed at achieving the following objectives

• To study the problem of poor academic performance in social science among the students of class IX with special reference to XYZ High School.
• To suggest for the problem by giving some remedial measures.
• To study the economic condition of the student.
• 4 . Analyze the implementation of the activities.
• To find out ways to increase the achievement among the students.

1.5 ACTION HYPOTHESIS

A hypothesis is a tentative prediction of the research. It is a very important aspect of research activity. A hypothesis is considered as the principal instrument in research. The action hypothesis is assumed to improve or minimize the current research problem, with the help of different modern teaching methods, using proper TLM, organizing discussions, by giving remedial measures and proper guide teacher can solve the poor achievement problem.

1.6 METHODS OF THE STUDY

The selection of proper methods is very important for research work. Methods mean a way of doing something, especially in a systematic way.

The researcher in this project used the quasi method.

The quasi method is used for collecting data. Here data is collected by conducting pre-test and post-test using a question paper.

Advantages of quasi-experimental method-

• Reactions of test subjects are more likely to be genuine because it is not an artificial research environment.
• It can be very useful in identifying general trends from the results, especially in social science disciplines.
• Disadvantages of quasi-experimental method-
• Human errors also play a key role in the validity of any project as discussed in previous modules.
• Pre-existing factors and other influences are not taken into account because variables are less controlled in the quasi-experimental method.

 1.7 POPULATION AND SAMPLE

A research population is generally a large collection of individuals or objects that is the main focus of a scientific query. It is for the benefit of the population that researches are done. However due to large sizes of the population researchers often cannot test every individual in the population because it is too expensive and time consuming.

The total population of class 9 was 49 in ABC Model High School.

Out  of 49 the researcher  has been taken 8 students for research study as sample of this action research project. The sample of 8 students includes  5 boys and 3 girls.

TOOLS OF DATA COLLECTION

To obtain the data, the researcher administered a  test (pre-test) as the instrument of the research. In this written test the  49 students were given some questions to do. The answer sheets of the students were collected to facilitate the researcher in identifying correct answers done by the students. Among the 49 students, only 8 students were chosen who were quite literally poor in social science. After post-test, the intervention was done, such as-

First, the questionnaire consists of 10 questions provided to the students assessing the student’s opinions about themselves.

The second was the observation method. With the help of observation, the researcher tried to identify the problem of the students during classroom interaction.

The third, was an interview. The researcher takes interviews of the students individually which helps the researcher to know their problems in social science.

1.9 PROCEDURE OF THE DATA COLLECTION

The research was conducted after discussing the detailed plan with the subject teacher and taking permission from the concerned school. First a pre-test was conducted for the population of 49 students, out of which a sample of 8 were selected for research which was then followed by intervention and then a post-test was conducted for the sample.

2.1 PRE-TEST

A pre-test is very essential to carry out the action research. The pre-test is conducted for knowing the achievement of the students. In this study, the researcher tries to find out the responses of the students to find out the problems students legging behind in low achievement in social science. The pre-test on the social science of 25 marks was conducted by the researcher in class 9.

2.2 REMEDIAL MEASURES

Remedial measures refer to the techniques which are adopted by the researcher to remove the difficulties of the students in the teaching-learning process. The researcher identifies those students who perform very poorly in the pre-test.

The researcher has taken some remedial measures to increase the interest level of the students in the class. The researcher distributed some questionnaires to the students to find out the various reasons for low achievement in social science. Extra care and guidance were provided to the students and extra classes were taken by the researcher to get the attention of the students.

Besides these the researcher adopts some other techniques to improve the interest level of the students:

• Extra classes were taken in free periods.
• Friendly environment in the classroom.
• Using appropriate teaching aids.
• Child-centered teaching in the classroom.
• Encouraged the students to go to the library to acquire more knowledge.
• Regular homework was assigned to the students.

 2.2 POST-TEST

After giving remedial measures, the researcher again conducted a post-test on the same topic. A post-test was conducted specially for those selected students who could not perform well in the pre-test.

3.1 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Data analysis is the process of assigning meaning to the collected information and determining the conclusion of the findings. This data often takes the form of records of group discussion and interview but it is not limited to this.

The problem with which researcher  have selected for making the action research report is “A study on Low Achievement in Social Science of the student of class 9”.  To fulfill the objectives of the study regarding this topic researcher has collected some data with the help of a survey method.

The data collected by the researcher in pre-test and post-test were analyzed. The scores were compared to obtain the difference between the two tests. The data analysis of pre-test (table-1) and post-test(table-2)revealed that the students mostly improved.

Interpretation

Interpretation is by no means a mechanical process. It calls for critical examination of the result of one’s analysis in light of all the limitations of his or her data gathering. It is a very important step in the total procedure of research. The process of interpretation is essentially one of starting what the result (findings) show, what do they mean? What is their significance? What is the answer to the original problem?

In the present study, data collected from the teachers and students are tabulated. The percentage is applied as a statistical technique to sort out the strength of each statement. Geographical representation by a bar graph, charts etc is done for certain data.

  3.2 FINDINGS

After analysis of the results and post-test, the researcher got some findings about interest of students in learning social science. Those are given below:-

• It has been observed that most of the time students become inattentive in class due to a lack of proper TLM used by the teacher while teaching social science.
• It has been observed that proper use of TLM can be helpful in motivating and improving student’s achievement in learning social science.
• It has been observed that using innovative method, strategies, and techniques of teaching by the teacher while teaching that develops students attention as well as interest in learning.
• It has been observed that team work can be liked to two compounds almost essential to modern life. It’s the glue which keeps a team together, a bond which promotes strength, unity, reliability and support among the students and providing team work in classroom can be helpful in creating attention of students.

4.1 SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Guidance on punctuality and regularity of each student is taken care of by teachers.
• Value education should include in the syllabus to avoid absenteeism.
• Teaching methods should improve by the teachers so that the student feels interested to attain the class.
• The teacher should make the subject matter interesting for the students by using different methods, techniques and strategies during the instruction period.
• Examples help the student to understand a hard complicated and tough in an easy manner. So, the teacher should give examples during teaching.
• The teacher should use various audio-visual aids during instruction to motivate the students to pay attention.
• The teacher should understand the psychological and physical needs and interest of student to pay attention in the class.
• The teacher should use some modern technology like a projector which is very much helpful to increase the interest of students in learning political science

5.1 CONCLUSION

Social science is an important subject for the student. Social science is a way of thinking , of asking questions, of observing  and appreciating political system, history, economics, civics, geography etc. social  science also provide us the basic human rights and duties. So that the teacher can help children learn by offering them interesting techniques and methods of teaching.

This project is an attempt to study the achievement of the student in the subject of social science as well as to improve school practices. So that the learners derive maximum benefits from school by acquiring knowledge mastering skills and developing competencies and positive attitudes.

It is heartening to note that a range of activities can ensure learners in involvement in their social science subject, make the class interactive and enjoyable. At the same time, we also need to take initiative of slow learners and irregular students in social science acquisition.

QUESTIONNAIRE

So that sums up an action research project for B.ed students in social science. Hope you like it.

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151+ Innovative B.Ed Action Research Topics (2024)

Teachers must examine their teaching and find ways to improve it. Action research helps with this. As teaching changes, it’s key for student teachers and teachers to stay updated on new developments, problems faced, and opportunities to grow through proper research. 

In 2024, many interesting subjects exist, such as fresh teaching methods, using tech tools, making classrooms inclusive, and helping kids’ social-emotional skills . This list has over 151 exciting action research ideas for B.Ed students that will get you pumped and help create positive school changes.

Whether you’re still learning to teach, an experienced teacher, or someone who studies education, these topics give you lots of opportunities to dig into important current matters and discover new ways to shape the future of teaching and learning for kids.

How To Choose The Right Action Research Topics

Table of Contents

When choosing your research topic, it’s important to consider a few key things to ensure your project is useful, doable and makes a real difference. Here are three big factors to consider:

Matches Learning Goals

Your research should connect to your school or education board’s learning goals and rules. By picking a topic that directly relates to what students are supposed to learn, you can ensure your findings will be relevant and helpful in your teaching. This connection also allows you to contribute to bigger talks about how lesson plans are used and how well they work.

Fits Your Situation

It’s important to select a topic you can manage with the time, stuff, and information you can access. A topic that’s too big or complicated may become too much to handle and get in the way of doing good research. Think about the size of your study, whether you can find enough people or data sources to look at, and any practical limits you might face. Finding a balance between an important and doable topic is key to a successful project.

Connects to Your Teaching

The whole point of this research is to learn things that can improve your teaching. So, your topic should directly relate to the challenges, questions, or interests you face daily as a teacher. 

By focusing on something that feels real and relevant to your classroom, you can ensure your findings will be practical and helpful for your growth as a teacher.

Remember, these aren’t separate things – an effective topic should ideally check all three boxes to make an impact and be valuable in education.

Recommended Readings: “ Top 21 Compelling User Experience Research Topics – Great Ideas! “

Top 151+ Innovative B.Ed Action Research Topics

Here is the list of the top 151+ innovative B.Ed action research topics in 2024. Let’s have a look. 

Teaching Methods and Strategies

• Using videos and pictures to teach Science.
• Working together in math class and seeing if it helps.
• Watching educational videos at home for a language class.
• Learning by doing projects in social studies.
• Telling stories to help little kids learn to read.
• Making games to learn in gym class.
• Using calming exercises to help kids behave better.

Curriculum Development

• Making sure all kids can learn together.
• Learning about the environment in all classes.
• Teaching skills kids need for today’s world.
• Including stories and knowledge from different cultures.
• Making sure all kids see themselves in what they learn.
• Mixing subjects to make learning more fun.
• Using computers and the Internet in lessons.

Assessment and Evaluation

• Trying different ways to see what kids know in language class.
• Letting kids decide how well they’re doing.
• Kids help each other learn and check how well they’re doing.
• Grading projects with a set of rules.
• Keeping a digital record of what kids do in school.
• Testing kids by watching them do things.
• Seeing how well tests measure what kids know.

Classroom Management

• Helping kids make things right when they make mistakes.
• Saying good things to kids to help them behave.
• Making deals with kids about how they’ll behave.
• Being friends with kids helps them learn better.
• Making classrooms nice places to be.
• Helping kids work out their problems.
• Believing kids can do well and helping them do it.

Educational Technology

• Using phone apps to help kids learn.
• Pretending to be somewhere else to learn.
• Adding stuff to real things to learn more.
• Working together online to get things done.
• Using websites like Facebook to learn.
• Every kid gets a computer or tablet to use in class.
• Computers learn what kids need and teach them.

Special Education

• Making plans for kids who need extra help.
• Helping kids learn in different ways.
• Using tools to help kids with disabilities.
• Teachers work together to help kids.
• Helping kids with autism learn to talk to others.
• Helping kids with disabilities get ready for life after school.

Early Childhood Education

• Learning by playing when you’re little.
• Learning to read when you’re little.
• Moms and dads are helping out at school.
• Using computers to learn when you’re little.
• Learning to speak different languages when you’re little.
• Learning to be kind to others when you’re little.
• Learning outside when you’re little.

Language Education

• Learning in a different language all day.
• Friends helping each other learn to speak.
• Learning about words and sentences.
• Learning about other countries and people.
• Acting out stories to help learn.
• Making videos to tell stories.
• Learning from mistakes when you talk.

Mathematics Education

• Learning with toys in math class.
• Learning by solving problems in math class.
• Learning to think like a mathematician.
• Make pictures in your head to help you learn math.
• Helping each other learn math.
• Using real things to learn math.
• Making games to learn math.

Science Education

• Learning by asking questions in science class.
• Learning outside to care for the Earth.
• Learning to think like a scientist.
• Learning by doing experiments in science class.
• Learning on the computer in science class.
• Learning about everything in science.
• Seeing if boys and girls learn science the same way.

Social Studies Education

• Learning to think like a historian.
• Learning from old stuff in social studies.
• Learning about different cultures in school.
• Helping people and learning at the same time.
• Learning about maps and places in social studies.
• Learning from the news in social studies class.

Arts Education

• Learning by making art.
• Learning to think in new ways with art.
• Learning about what makes art good.
• Learning by making art with feelings.
• Using computers to make art.
• Learning about people from different places in art class.
• Learning to feel good by making art.

Physical Education

• Learning by moving in gym class.
• Learning to love moving your body.
• Being fair and nice in gym class.
• Learning to be healthy in school.
• Learning by playing sports.
• Everyone plays sports together.
• Playing sports helps kids learn better.

Educational Leadership and Administration

• Everyone is helping make school better.
• Making everyone happy to be at school.
• Knowing how you feel helps you be a better leader.
• Teachers learn from each other.
• Making sure everyone can do their best in school.
• Teachers work together to help kids learn.
• Making sure teachers know how to help kids learn.

Teacher Professional Development

• Helping new teachers learn from experienced teachers.
• Learning new things all the time.
• Thinking about how you teach to be a better teacher.
• Learning on the computer to be a better teacher.
• Teachers learn by watching kids learn.
• Being happy to teach helps kids learn better.

Parent and Community Involvement

• Everyone works together to help kids learn.
• Learning about people from different places.
• Teaching moms and dads how to help kids at home.
• Kids learn by helping others.
• Moms and dads are helping out in school.
• Some people can’t help out at school because of different reasons.

Educational Policy and Reform

• Seeing if tests show what kids know.
• Letting moms and dads pick where kids go to school.
• Helping all kids learn the same.
• Making sure everyone can learn together.
• Seeing if tests make teachers happy.
• Teachers are being watched to see if they’re good.
• Seeing if schools have enough money to teach kids.

Global Education

• Learning to care about people all over the world.
• Learning to talk with people from different places.
• Learning about people from different places on the computer.
• Learning about people from different countries.
• Learning about people from different places in all classes.
• I want to learn why some people don’t want to learn about people from different places.

Environmental Education

• Learning about taking care of the Earth.
• Learning to use things that don’t hurt the Earth.
• Learning outside to take care of the Earth.
• Learning to care about the Earth in school.
• Learning about taking care of the Earth and treating people fairly.
• Learning about animals and plants in school.
• Some people can’t learn about caring for the Earth for different reasons.

Health Education

• Learning about taking care of yourself and others.
• Learning about feeling good and helping others feel good.
• Learning about eating healthy and moving your body.
• Learning to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
• Learning by moving your body in school.
• Learning about staying healthy if you don’t have a lot of money.
• Learning by seeing a doctor at school.

Adult Education

• Learning on the computer when you’re older.
• Learning new things all the time when you’re older.
• Learning to read when you’re older is important to get a better job.
• Learning to do a job when you’re older.
• Some people can’t learn new things when they’re older for different reasons.

Vocational Education

• Learning by doing a job in school.
• Learning to do a job in school.
• Learning to do a job with help from people who do it.
• Learning to do a job by working for someone else.
• Learning about jobs even if people think only boys or girls can do them.
• Learning about jobs even if people think only some people can do them.
• Learning to do a job to help the whole town.

These topics cover a wide range of education areas and offer opportunities for innovative research and improvement in teaching and learning practices.

Challenges and Considerations in Action Research

Let’s discuss some of the challenges/problems that you might face in your action research topic. 

Problems You May Face

Even though doing action research can be good, it’s important to know about some possible problems you may run into. Here are three key things to think about:

Not Enough Time

Action research takes a lot of time, from planning and gathering info to looking at the data and using what you learned. Balancing research work with your regular teaching job can be hard as a teacher. Managing your time well and setting realistic goals is super important so your research doesn’t become too much or get in the way of your main job teaching kids.

Following the Rules

When researching with students or others, you must follow important rules and ensure everyone is safe and their private information is protected. This includes getting proper permission, keeping things confidential, and ensuring no one gets hurt. Also, the way you do your research and collect information has to be done properly and fairly.

Not Having Enough Stuff

Action research is often done with only the limited things a school or teacher has. Not having enough money, special equipment or tech, or help with research can make things difficult. You may need to get creative and use what you have smartly. Working with other teachers or getting help from outside can also help when you don’t have enough resources.

By knowing about these possible problems ahead of time, you can better prepare for a successful research experience. 

Getting advice from experienced researchers, managing your time wisely, and following all the rules can help you overcome these challenges while still focusing on becoming a better teacher and helping kids learn.

As teaching keeps changing, doing new and thoughtful research becomes increasingly important. By working on an action research project, you can help improve teaching practices and students’ learning. 

The wide variety of topics in this big list shows the many possibilities you can explore. Whether you want to focus on using new technology, creating classrooms that include everyone, or understanding different teaching methods, these topics give you many paths to follow. 

Take this opportunity to examine things deeply, question old ways of doing things, and find new ideas that can shape the future of education. Remember, your research impact is not just about the results but also about the process of discovering new things. 

Approach your chosen topic with an open mind, hard work, and a true desire to make a lasting positive change for teachers and students.

What is action research in education?

Action research in education is a systematic inquiry conducted by educators to improve teaching practices and enhance student learning outcomes.

Why is it important to choose the right research topic?

Choosing the right research topic is crucial as it sets the foundation for the entire action research process and ensures its effectiveness and relevance.

What are some examples of innovative action research topics?

Examples of innovative action research topics include integrating technology in classroom instruction, addressing diversity and inclusion, enhancing student engagement, promoting critical thinking skills, and improving assessment strategies.

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181+ Good Action Research Topics For B.Ed Students In 2024-25

Interested in learning about Action Research Topics for B.Ed Students? B.Ed students use Action Research to connect classroom ideas with practical teaching methods, making learning more exciting. 

This research helps teachers explore and improve their teaching approaches, ensuring constant progress. Our guide covers a range of engaging topics, such as creative teaching methods and better ways to manage classrooms. 

These Action Research Topics for B.Ed students are designed to encourage thinking, improve teaching skills, and contribute to making education even better.

Must Know: Public Administration Research Topics

Table of Contents

What Is Action Research Topics?

What are Action Research Topics? These topics are about B.Ed students doing practical studies to make their teaching better. They look at real classroom issues and find practical solutions for improved education. Instead of just learning theories, B.Ed students actively research and try out better ways to teach. 

Action Research Topics cover different parts of teaching, from fun methods to managing classrooms well. This way of learning encourages hands-on experiences and ongoing improvement in teaching, benefiting both teachers and students.

How Do I Find An Action Research Topic, And How Do I Learn From It?

Wondering how to pick a topic for Action Research and make the most of it? Start by looking at your classroom and finding things that could be better. Think about the problems you and your students face. Once you have a topic, find simple and practical solutions.

To learn from your Action Research, follow these steps:

• Gather Information: Collect data about your topic, like student performance, feedback, or observations.
• Think About It: Look at the data and think about what it tells you about your teaching and the learning environment.
• Make Changes: Based on what you find, make small, easy changes to how you teach.
• Check: See if your changes help. What did you learn from trying new things?
• Talk To Others: Share what you found with your friends at work. They might have good ideas, too.

Remember, the goal is to get better, so don’t be afraid to change things if necessary.

List of 181+ Good Action Research Topics For B.Ed Students

Here’s a diverse list of 200 Action Research Topics categorized across various educational levels and fields:

Best Action Research Topics For Early Childhood Education (Preschool/Kindergarten)

• Enhancing Social Skills Development in Preschoolers
• Promoting Early Literacy Skills through Play-Based Learning
• Investigating the Impact of Outdoor Education on Preschool Learning
• Strategies for Managing Challenging Behaviors in Kindergarten Classrooms
• Implementing Multisensory Learning Approaches in Early Childhood Education

Latest Action Research Topics For Elementary School

• Exploring Differentiated Instruction Techniques for Elementary Math
• Fostering Creativity and Imagination in Elementary Art Education
• Investigating the Benefits of Storytelling in Language Arts for Elementary Students
• Promoting STEM Education in Elementary Science Classes
• Strategies for Enhancing Physical Education in Elementary Schools

Great Action Research Topics For Middle School

• Addressing Bullying and Peer Conflict Resolution Strategies
• Implementing Character Education Programs in Middle Schools
• Investigating the Impact of Technology Integration in Middle School Curriculum
• Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills in Middle School Social Studies
• Strategies for Supporting Emotional Well-being in Middle School Students

Cool Action Research Topics For High School

• Exploring Project-Based Learning in High School Mathematics
• Investigating the Effects of Mindfulness Practices on High School Students
• Promoting Career Readiness Skills through High School Vocational Programs
• Strategies for Preventing High School Dropout Rates
• Enhancing College Readiness Skills in High School English Classes

Most Interesting Action Research Topics For College Students

• Investigating Study Habits and Academic Performance Among College Students
• Promoting Mental Health Awareness and Support Services on College Campuses
• Exploring the Impact of Peer Mentoring Programs for College Freshmen
• Strategies for Improving Time Management Skills for College Students
• Investigating the Role of Experiential Learning in College STEM Education

Top Rated Action Research Topics For B.Ed Students

• Enhancing Research Skills and Methodologies in Graduate Programs
• Investigating the Effects of Online Learning on Graduate Student Engagement
• Promoting Work-Life Balance Strategies for Graduate Students
• Exploring the Impact of Faculty Mentorship on Graduate Student Success
• Strategies for Enhancing Dissertation Writing and Completion Rates

Special Education Action Research Topics For B.Ed Students

• Investigating Inclusive Classroom Practices for Students with Disabilities
• Exploring Assistive Technology Tools for Students with Special Needs
• Promoting Social Skills Development in Special Education Settings
• Strategies for Supporting Neurodiverse Learners in the Classroom
• Enhancing Communication Skills for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

English Language Learners (ELL/ESL) Action Research Topics For Students

• Investigating Language Acquisition Strategies for English Language Learners
• Exploring Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices for ELL Students
• Promoting Language Development Through Storytelling and Drama Activities
• Strategies for Integrating Language Support in Content-Area Instruction
• Enhancing Academic Vocabulary Acquisition for ELL Students

Science Education Action Research Topics For B.Ed Students

• Investigating Inquiry-Based Learning Approaches in Science Education
• Exploring Environmental Education Strategies for Science Classrooms
• Promoting Hands-On Learning in Chemistry and Physics Education
• Strategies for Integrating STEM Education Across the Curriculum
• Enhancing Science Literacy Skills Through Project-Based Learning

Mathematics Education

• Investigating Problem-Solving Strategies in Mathematics Education
• Exploring Differentiated Instruction in Math Classrooms
• Promoting Real-World Applications of Mathematics
• Strategies for Improving Math Anxiety Among Students
• Enhancing Conceptual Understanding in Algebra and Geometry Education

Social Studies Education

• Investigating Historical Inquiry-Based Learning in Social Studies
• Exploring Global Citizenship Education Strategies
• Promoting Civic Engagement and Service Learning in Social Studies
• Strategies for Teaching Controversial Topics in History Classrooms
• Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills in Geography Education

Arts Education

• Investigating Arts Integration Across the Curriculum
• Exploring Creativity and Innovation in Visual Arts Education
• Promoting Cultural Diversity Through Music Education
• Strategies for Integrating Drama and Theater Arts in Education
• Enhancing Media Literacy Skills in Digital Arts Education

Physical Education

• Investigating the Impact of Physical Activity on Academic Performance
• Exploring Health Education and Wellness Programs
• Promoting Inclusive Physical Education for Students with Disabilities
• Strategies for Integrating Technology in Physical Education Classes
• Enhancing Motor Skills Development in Early Childhood Physical Education

Educational Technology

• Investigating the Use of Gamification in Educational Technology
• Exploring Blended Learning Models in Technology Integration
• Promoting Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety Skills
• Strategies for Implementing Flipped Classroom Approaches
• Enhancing Accessibility and Universal Design in Educational Technology

Teacher Professional Development

• Investigating Effective Strategies for Teacher Collaboration and PLCs
• Exploring Reflective Practice and Action Research in Teacher PD
• Promoting Culturally Responsive Teaching Training for Educators
• Strategies for Supporting New Teacher Induction and Mentoring Programs
• Enhancing Teacher Well-being and Burnout Prevention Strategies

Curriculum Development

• Investigating Curriculum Mapping and Alignment Strategies
• Exploring Interdisciplinary Curriculum Design Models
• Promoting Project-Based Learning Across Subject Areas
• Strategies for Integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into the Curriculum
• Enhancing Differentiated Instruction in Curriculum Planning

Assessment and Evaluation

• Investigating Formative Assessment Strategies for Student Feedback
• Exploring Authentic Assessment Methods in Education
• Promoting Fair and Equitable Grading Practices
• Strategies for Implementing Standards-Based Assessment and Reporting
• Enhancing Data-Driven Decision Making in Education

Classroom Management

• Investigating Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) Strategies
• Exploring Restorative Justice Practices in Classroom Discipline
• Promoting Student-Centered Classroom Management Approaches
• Strategies for Building Positive Teacher-Student Relationships
• Enhancing Time Management and Organization Skills for Teachers

Literacy Education

• Investigating Phonics Instruction Strategies in Early Literacy
• Exploring Comprehension Strategies for Reading Fluency
• Promoting Writing Workshop Approaches in Language Arts
• Strategies for Differentiating Reading Instruction for Diverse Learners
• Enhancing Literacy Skills Through Multimodal Texts and Digital Literacy

Gifted Education

• Investigating Enrichment and Acceleration Strategies for Gifted Students
• Exploring Talent Development and Creativity in Gifted Education
• Promoting Social and Emotional Support for Gifted Learners
• Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Gifted Education Programs
• Enhancing Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills for Gifted Learners

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

• Investigating Industry-Driven CTE Programs and Pathways
• Exploring Work-Based Learning Experiences for Career Readiness
• Promoting Entrepreneurship Education in CTE Curriculum
• Strategies for Integrating STEM Skills into CTE Programs
• Enhancing Industry Certifications and Credentialing in CTE

Environmental Education

• Investigating Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Education
• Exploring Outdoor and Experiential Learning in Environmental Education
• Promoting Environmental Justice and Advocacy
• Strategies for Integrating Climate Change Education into the Curriculum
• Enhancing Environmental Literacy Through Community Partnerships
• Investigating the Impact of Nature-Based Education on Student Well-being
• Exploring Eco-friendly Practices in School Operations and Facilities
• Promoting Conservation Education and Wildlife Preservation Awareness
• Strategies for Implementing Green Initiatives in Educational Institutions
• Enhancing Student-led Environmental Action Projects in Schools

Early Intervention Education

• Investigating Early Intervention Strategies for At-Risk Students
• Exploring Play-Based Learning for Early Childhood Development
• Promoting Social-Emotional Skills in Early Intervention Programs
• Strategies for Addressing Learning Disabilities in Early Education
• Enhancing Parental Involvement in Early Intervention Education

Multicultural Education

• Investigating Culturally Responsive Teaching in Multicultural Classrooms
• Exploring Global Citizenship Education and Cross-Cultural Understanding
• Promoting Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives in Educational Settings
• Strategies for Fostering Intercultural Competence Among Students
• Enhancing Bilingual Education Programs and Language Acquisition

Classroom Technology Integration

• Investigating the Impact of Interactive Whiteboards on Classroom Learning
• Exploring the Use of Educational Apps for Student Engagement
• Promoting Digital Citizenship and Online Safety Education
• Strategies for Flipping the Classroom Using Online Resources
• Enhancing Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in Education

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

• Investigating SEL Programs for Emotional Intelligence Development
• Exploring Mindfulness Practices in Social-Emotional Learning
• Promoting Conflict Resolution Skills in SEL Curriculum
• Strategies for Fostering Empathy and Compassion Among Students
• Enhancing Resilience and Coping Skills Through SEL Initiatives

Restorative Justice in Education

• Investigating Restorative Circles for Conflict Resolution in Schools
• Exploring Restorative Practices in Disciplinary Actions
• Promoting Community-Building Through Restorative Justice
• Strategies for Implementing Restorative Justice in Diverse Settings
• Enhancing Restorative Justice Training for Educators and Students

Inclusive Education

• Exploring Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Inclusive Education
• Promoting Peer Support and Collaboration in Inclusive Settings
• Strategies for Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learning Needs
• Enhancing Accessibility and Accommodations in Inclusive Classrooms

Positive Psychology in Education

• Investigating Positive Education Programs for Student Well-being
• Exploring Strengths-Based Approaches in Positive Psychology
• Promoting Gratitude and Mindfulness Practices in Schools
• Strategies for Fostering a Positive School Climate and Culture
• Enhancing Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

Inquiry-Based Learning

• Investigating Inquiry-Based Science Education in Elementary Schools
• Exploring Project-Based Inquiry in High School Humanities Classes
• Promoting Student-Led Inquiry Projects Across Subjects
• Strategies for Incorporating Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics
• Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Inquiry-Based Learning

Cooperative Learning

• Investigating Cooperative Learning Strategies in Elementary Math
• Exploring Group Projects for Cooperative Learning in High School
• Promoting Collaborative Problem-Solving Skills in Teams
• Strategies for Facilitating Effective Group Discussions
• Enhancing Peer Collaboration in Science and Social Studies Classes

Experiential Learning

• Investigating Experiential Learning in Outdoor Education Programs
• Exploring Service-Learning Projects for Civic Engagement
• Promoting Field Trips and Educational Excursions
• Strategies for Integrating Real-World Experiences into the Curriculum
• Enhancing Internship Programs for College and Graduate Students

Motivation in Education

• Investigating Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in the Classroom
• Exploring Goal-Setting Strategies for Student Achievement
• Promoting Growth Mindset and Resilience in Learning
• Strategies for Recognizing and Rewarding Student Efforts
• Enhancing Motivational Strategies for Different Learning Styles

Outdoor Education

• Investigating Outdoor Classroom Spaces and Natural Learning Environments
• Exploring Wilderness Education and Outdoor Adventure Programs
• Promoting Environmental Education through Outdoor Activities
• Strategies for Integrating Gardening and Sustainable Practices
• Enhancing Team-Building and Leadership Skills in Outdoor Education

Peer Mentoring in Education

• Investigating Peer Tutoring Programs for Academic Support
• Exploring Cross-Age Peer Mentoring in Elementary Schools
• Promoting Peer Mentoring for Social and Emotional Well-being
• Strategies for Building Peer Relationships in Inclusive Settings
• Enhancing Peer Mentorship Programs in Higher Education

Educational Leadership

• Investigating Transformational Leadership in School Administration
• Exploring Distributed Leadership Models in Educational Institutions
• Promoting Ethical Leadership Practices in Educational Settings
• Strategies for Building a Positive School Culture and Climate
• Enhancing Professional Development for School Leaders

How Should I Start With Action Research?

Starting with action research involves several key steps. Here’s a simple guide to help you begin:

• Look at your classroom and choose something you want to make better, like how students participate or behave.
• Turn your idea into a simple question. For example, “How can I get students to talk more during class?”
• Look for books or articles about your topic to learn what others have done.
• Decide what you’ll do to improve things in your classroom, like trying new activities or changing the way you teach.
• Put your plan into action in your classroom and see how it goes.
• Write down what happens as you try out your plan, like what works well and what doesn’t.
• Take a good look at your notes to see what worked and what didn’t.
• Spend some time thinking about what you learned from trying out your plan.
• Share what you found with other teachers so they can learn from your experience too.
• Decide if you want to try something else or make changes based on what you learned. Then, start the process again.

Most Recent Action Research Topics For B.Ed Students PDF

Here are the most interesting action research topics for B.Ed students: 

What Are Some Examples Of Action Research And Applied Research?

Exploring different types of research can be simpler than you think! Action research involves teachers trying new ideas in the classroom, while applied research looks at bigger questions, like how technology affects learning.

In closing, exploring Action Research topics for B.Ed students is like opening the door to improving teaching methods. By looking into things like making classes more interesting, finding better ways to handle behavior, or trying out new teaching approaches, educators continuously get better at what they do. 

This mix of learning theories and hands-on practice helps teachers not only improve their teaching skills but also contribute to the ongoing changes in education. 

B.Ed students, in exploring these topics, not only get better at teaching but also add to the growing pool of knowledge that helps create a lively and effective learning experience for everyone.

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4 Preparing for Action Research in the Classroom: Practical Issues

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What sort of considerations are necessary to take action in your educational context?
• How do you facilitate an action plan without disrupting your teaching?
• How do you respond when the unplanned happens during data collection?

An action research project is a practical endeavor that will ultimately be shaped by your educational context and practice. Now that you have developed a literature review, you are ready to revise your initial plans and begin to plan your project. This chapter will provide some advice about your considerations when undertaking an action research project in your classroom.

Maintain Focus

Hopefully, you found a lot a research on your topic. If so, you will now have a better understanding of how it fits into your area and field of educational research. Even though the topic and area you are researching may not be small, your study itself should clearly focus on one aspect of the topic in your classroom. It is important to maintain clarity about what you are investigating because a lot will be going on simultaneously during the research process and you do not want to spend precious time on erroneous aspects that are irrelevant to your research.

Even though you may view your practice as research, and vice versa, you might want to consider your research project as a projection or megaphone for your work that will bring attention to the small decisions that make a difference in your educational context. From experience, our concern is that you will find that researching one aspect of your practice will reveal other interconnected aspects that you may find interesting, and you will disorient yourself researching in a confluence of interests, commitments, and purposes. We simply want to emphasize – don’t try to research everything at once. Stay focused on your topic, and focus on exploring it in depth, instead of its many related aspects. Once you feel you have made progress in one aspect, you can then progress to other related areas, as new research projects that continue the research cycle.

Identify a Clear Research Question

Your literature review should have exposed you to an array of research questions related to your topic. More importantly, your review should have helped identify which research questions we have addressed as a field, and which ones still need to be addressed . More than likely your research questions will resemble ones from your literature review, while also being distinguishable based upon your own educational context and the unexplored areas of research on your topic.

Regardless of how your research question took shape, it is important to be clear about what you are researching in your educational context. Action research questions typically begin in ways related to “How does … ?” or “How do I/we … ?”, for example:

Research Question Examples

• How does a semi-structured morning meeting improve my classroom community?
• How does historical fiction help students think about people’s agency in the past?
• How do I improve student punctuation use through acting out sentences?
• How do we increase student responsibility for their own learning as a team of teachers?

I particularly favor questions with I or we, because they emphasize that you, the actor and researcher, will be clearly taking action to improve your practice. While this may seem rather easy, you need to be aware of asking the right kind of question. One issue is asking a too pointed and closed question that limits the possibility for analysis. These questions tend to rely on quantitative answers, or yes/no answers. For example, “How many students got a 90% or higher on the exam, after reviewing the material three times?

Another issue is asking a question that is too broad, or that considers too many variables. For example, “How does room temperature affect students’ time-on-task?” These are obviously researchable questions, but the aim is a cause-and-effect relationship between variables that has little or no value to your daily practice.

I also want to point out that your research question will potentially change as the research develops. If you consider the question:

As you do an activity, you may find that students are more comfortable and engaged by acting sentences out in small groups, instead of the whole class. Therefore, your question may shift to:

• How do I improve student punctuation use through acting out sentences, in small groups ?

By simply engaging in the research process and asking questions, you will open your thinking to new possibilities and you will develop new understandings about yourself and the problematic aspects of your educational context.

Understand Your Capabilities and Know that Change Happens Slowly

Similar to your research question, it is important to have a clear and realistic understanding of what is possible to research in your specific educational context. For example, would you be able to address unsatisfactory structures (policies and systems) within your educational context? Probably not immediately, but over time you potentially could. It is much more feasible to think of change happening in smaller increments, from within your own classroom or context, with you as one change agent. For example, you might find it particularly problematic that your school or district places a heavy emphasis on traditional grades, believing that these grades are often not reflective of the skills students have or have not mastered. Instead of attempting to research grading practices across your school or district, your research might instead focus on determining how to provide more meaningful feedback to students and parents about progress in your course. While this project identifies and addresses a structural issue that is part of your school and district context, to keep things manageable, your research project would focus the outcomes on your classroom. The more research you do related to the structure of your educational context the more likely modifications will emerge. The more you understand these modifications in relation to the structural issues you identify within your own context, the more you can influence others by sharing your work and enabling others to understand the modification and address structural issues within their contexts. Throughout your project, you might determine that modifying your grades to be standards-based is more effective than traditional grades, and in turn, that sharing your research outcomes with colleagues at an in-service presentation prompts many to adopt a similar model in their own classrooms. It can be defeating to expect the world to change immediately, but you can provide the spark that ignites coordinated changes. In this way, action research is a powerful methodology for enacting social change. Action research enables individuals to change their own lives, while linking communities of like-minded practitioners who work towards action.

Plan Thoughtfully

Planning thoughtfully involves having a path in mind, but not necessarily having specific objectives. Due to your experience with students and your educational context, the research process will often develop in ways as you expected, but at times it may develop a little differently, which may require you to shift the research focus and change your research question. I will suggest a couple methods to help facilitate this potential shift. First, you may want to develop criteria for gauging the effectiveness of your research process. You may need to refine and modify your criteria and your thinking as you go. For example, we often ask ourselves if action research is encouraging depth of analysis beyond my typical daily pedagogical reflection. You can think about this as you are developing data collection methods and even when you are collecting data. The key distinction is whether the data you will be collecting allows for nuance among the participants or variables. This does not mean that you will have nuance, but it should allow for the possibility. Second, criteria are shaped by our values and develop into standards of judgement. If we identify criteria such as teacher empowerment, then we will use that standard to think about the action contained in our research process. Our values inform our work; therefore, our work should be judged in relation to the relevance of our values in our pedagogy and practice.

Does Your Timeline Work?

While action research is situated in the temporal span that is your life, your research project is short-term, bounded, and related to the socially mediated practices within your educational context. The timeline is important for bounding, or setting limits to your research project, while also making sure you provide the right amount of time for the data to emerge from the process.

For example, if you are thinking about examining the use of math diaries in your classroom, you probably do not want to look at a whole semester of entries because that would be a lot of data, with entries related to a wide range of topics. This would create a huge data analysis endeavor. Therefore, you may want to look at entries from one chapter or unit of study. Also, in terms of timelines, you want to make sure participants have enough time to develop the data you collect. Using the same math example, you would probably want students to have plenty of time to write in the journals, and also space out the entries over the span of the chapter or unit.

In relation to the examples, we think it is an important mind shift to not think of research timelines in terms of deadlines. It is vitally important to provide time and space for the data to emerge from the participants. Therefore, it would be potentially counterproductive to rush a 50-minute data collection into 20 minutes – like all good educators, be flexible in the research process.

Involve Others

It is important to not isolate yourself when doing research. Many educators are already isolated when it comes to practice in their classroom. The research process should be an opportunity to engage with colleagues and open up your classroom to discuss issues that are potentially impacting your entire educational context. Think about the following relationships:

Research participants

You may invite a variety of individuals in your educational context, many with whom you are in a shared situation (e.g. colleagues, administrators). These participants may be part of a collaborative study, they may simply help you develop data collection instruments or intervention items, or they may help to analyze and make sense of the data. While the primary research focus will be you and your learning, you will also appreciate how your learning is potentially influencing the quality of others’ learning.

We always tell educators to be public about your research, or anything exciting that is happening in your educational context, for that matter. In terms of research, you do not want it to seem mysterious to any stakeholder in the educational context. Invite others to visit your setting and observe your research process, and then ask for their formal feedback. Inviting others to your classroom will engage and connect you with other stakeholders, while also showing that your research was established in an ethic of respect for multiple perspectives.

Critical friends or validators

Using critical friends is one way to involve colleagues and also validate your findings and conclusions. While your positionality will shape the research process and subsequently your interpretations of the data, it is important to make sure that others see similar logic in your process and conclusions. Critical friends or validators provide some level of certification that the frameworks you use to develop your research project and make sense of your data are appropriate for your educational context. Your critical friends and validators’ suggestions will be useful if you develop a report or share your findings, but most importantly will provide you confidence moving forward.

Potential researchers

As an educational researcher, you are involved in ongoing improvement plans and district or systemic change. The flexibility of action research allows it to be used in a variety of ways, and your initial research can spark others in your context to engage in research either individually for their own purposes, or collaboratively as a grade level, team, or school. Collaborative inquiry with other educators is an emerging form of professional learning and development for schools with school improvement plans. While they call it collaborative inquiry, these schools are often using an action research model. It is good to think of all of your colleagues as potential research collaborators in the future.

Prioritize Ethical Practice

Try to always be cognizant of your own positionality during the action research process, its relation to your educational context, and any associated power relation to your positionality. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you are not coercing or engaging participants into harmful practices. While this may seem obvious, you may not even realize you are harming your participants because you believe the action is necessary for the research process.

For example, commonly teachers want to try out an intervention that will potentially positively impact their students. When the teacher sets up the action research study, they may have a control group and an experimental group. There is potential to impair the learning of one of these groups if the intervention is either highly impactful or exceedingly worse than the typical instruction. Therefore, teachers can sometimes overlook the potential harm to students in pursuing an experimental method of exploring an intervention.

If you are working with a university researcher, ethical concerns will be covered by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). If not, your school or district may have a process or form that you would need to complete, so it would beneficial to check your district policies before starting. Other widely accepted aspects of doing ethically informed research, include:

Confirm Awareness of Study and Negotiate Access – with authorities, participants and parents, guardians, caregivers and supervisors (with IRB this is done with Informed Consent).

• Promise to Uphold Confidentiality – Uphold confidentiality, to your fullest ability, to protect information, identity and data. You can identify people if they indicate they want to be recognized for their contributions.
• Ensure participants’ rights to withdraw from the study at any point .
• Make sure data is secured, either on password protected computer or lock drawer .

Prepare to Problematize your Thinking

Educational researchers who are more philosophically-natured emphasize that research is not about finding solutions, but instead is about creating and asking new and more precise questions. This is represented in the action research process shown in the diagrams in Chapter 1, as Collingwood (1939) notes the aim in human interaction is always to keep the conversation open, while Edward Said (1997) emphasized that there is no end because whatever we consider an end is actually the beginning of something entirely new. These reflections have perspective in evaluating the quality in research and signifying what is “good” in “good pedagogy” and “good research”. If we consider that action research is about studying and reflecting on one’s learning and how that learning influences practice to improve it, there is nothing to stop your line of inquiry as long as you relate it to improving practice. This is why it is necessary to problematize and scrutinize our practices.

Ethical Dilemmas for Educator-Researchers

Classroom teachers are increasingly expected to demonstrate a disposition of reflection and inquiry into their own practice. Many advocate for schools to become research centers, and to produce their own research studies, which is an important advancement in acknowledging and addressing the complexity in today’s schools. When schools conduct their own research studies without outside involvement, they bypass outside controls over their studies. Schools shift power away from the oversight of outside experts and ethical research responsibilities are shifted to those conducting the formal research within their educational context. Ethics firmly grounded and established in school policies and procedures for teaching, becomes multifaceted when teaching practice and research occur simultaneously. When educators conduct research in their classrooms, are they doing so as teachers or as researchers, and if they are researchers, at what point does the teaching role change to research? Although the notion of objectivity is a key element in traditional research paradigms, educator-based research acknowledges a subjective perspective as the educator-researcher is not viewed separately from the research. In action research, unlike traditional research, the educator as researcher gains access to the research site by the nature of the work they are paid and expected to perform. The educator is never detached from the research and remains at the research site both before and after the study. Because studying one’s practice comprises working with other people, ethical deliberations are inevitable. Educator-researchers confront role conflict and ambiguity regarding ethical issues such as informed consent from participants, protecting subjects (students) from harm, and ensuring confidentiality. They must demonstrate a commitment toward fully understanding ethical dilemmas that present themselves within the unique set of circumstances of the educational context. Questions about research ethics can feel exceedingly complex and in specific situations, educator- researchers require guidance from others.

Think about it this way. As a part-time historian and former history teacher I often problematized who we regard as good and bad people in history. I (Clark) grew up minutes from Jesse James’ childhood farm. Jesse James is a well-documented thief, and possibly by today’s standards, a terrorist. He is famous for daylight bank robberies, as well as the sheer number of successful robberies. When Jesse James was assassinated, by a trusted associate none-the-less, his body travelled the country for people to see, while his assailant and assailant’s brother reenacted the assassination over 1,200 times in theaters across the country. Still today in my hometown, they reenact Jesse James’ daylight bank robbery each year at the Fall Festival, immortalizing this thief and terrorist from our past. This demonstrates how some people saw him as somewhat of hero, or champion of some sort of resistance, both historically and in the present. I find this curious and ripe for further inquiry, but primarily it is problematic for how we think about people as good or bad in the past. Whatever we may individually or collectively think about Jesse James as a “good” or “bad” person in history, it is vitally important to problematize our thinking about him. Talking about Jesse James may seem strange, but it is relevant to the field of action research. If we tell people that we are engaging in important and “good” actions, we should be prepared to justify why it is “good” and provide a theoretical, epistemological, or ontological rationale if possible. Experience is never enough, you need to justify why you act in certain ways and not others, and this includes thinking critically about your own thinking.

Educators who view inquiry and research as a facet of their professional identity must think critically about how to design and conduct research in educational settings to address respect, justice, and beneficence to minimize harm to participants. This chapter emphasized the due diligence involved in ethically planning the collection of data, and in considering the challenges faced by educator-researchers in educational contexts.

Planning Action

After the thinking about the considerations above, you are now at the stage of having selected a topic and reflected on different aspects of that topic. You have undertaken a literature review and have done some reading which has enriched your understanding of your topic. As a result of your reading and further thinking, you may have changed or fine-tuned the topic you are exploring. Now it is time for action. In the last section of this chapter, we will address some practical issues of carrying out action research, drawing on both personal experiences of supervising educator-researchers in different settings and from reading and hearing about action research projects carried out by other researchers.

Engaging in an action research can be a rewarding experience, but a beneficial action research project does not happen by accident – it requires careful planning, a flexible approach, and continuous educator-researcher reflection. Although action research does not have to go through a pre-determined set of steps, it is useful here for you to be aware of the progression which we presented in Chapter 2. The sequence of activities we suggested then could be looked on as a checklist for you to consider before planning the practical aspects of your project.

We also want to provide some questions for you to think about as you are about to begin.

• Have you identified a topic for study?
• What is the specific context for the study? (It may be a personal project for you or for a group of researchers of which you are a member.)
• Have you read a sufficient amount of the relevant literature?
• Have you developed your research question(s)?
• Have you assessed the resource needed to complete the research?

As you start your project, it is worth writing down:

• a working title for your project, which you may need to refine later;
• the background of the study , both in terms of your professional context and personal motivation;
• the aims of the project;
• the specific outcomes you are hoping for.

Although most of the models of action research presented in Chapter 1 suggest action taking place in some pre-defined order, they also allow us the possibility of refining our ideas and action in the light of our experiences and reflections. Changes may need to be made in response to your evaluation and your reflections on how the project is progressing. For example, you might have to make adjustments, taking into account the students’ responses, your observations and any observations of your colleagues. All this is very useful and, in fact, it is one of the features that makes action research suitable for educational research.

Action research planning sheet

In the past, we have provided action researchers with the following planning list that incorporates all of these considerations. Again, like we have said many times, this is in no way definitive, or lock-in-step procedure you need to follow, but instead guidance based on our perspective to help you engage in the action research process. The left column is the simplified version, and the right column offers more specific advice if need.

Figure 4.1 Planning Sheet for Action Research

Action Research Copyright © by J. Spencer Clark; Suzanne Porath; Julie Thiele; and Morgan Jobe is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Action Research

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J. Spencer Clark, Kansas State University

Suzanne Porath, Kansas State University

Julie Thiele, Kansas State University

Morgan Jobe, Kansas State University

Copyright Year: 2020

Last Update: 2024

ISBN 13: 9781944548292

Publisher: New Prairie Press

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• About the Authors
• What is Action Research for Classroom Teachers?
• Action Research as a Process for Professional Learning and Leadership
• Planning Your Research: Reviewing the Literature and Developing Questions
• Preparing for Action Research in the Classroom: Practical Issues
• Collecting Data in Your Classroom
• Analyzing Data from Your Classroom
• Let it Be Known! Sharing your Results
• The Action Research Process from a High School ELA Teacher’s Perspective

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Action research is a common journey for graduate students in education and other human science fields. This book attempts to meet the needs of graduate students, in-service teachers, and any other educators interested in action research and/or self-study. The chapters of this book draw on our collective experiences as educators in a variety of educational contexts, and our roles guiding educator/researchers in various settings. All of our experiences have enabled us to question and refine our own understanding of action research as a process and means for pedagogical improvement. The primary purpose of this book is to offer clear steps and practical guidance to those who intend to carry out action research for the first time. As educators begin their action research journey, we feel it is vital to pose four questions: 1) What is action research, and how is it distinct from other educational research?; 2) When is it appropriate for an educator to conduct an action research project in their context?; 3) How does an educator conduct an action research project?; 4) What does an educator do with the data once the action research project has been conducted? We have attempted to address all four questions in the chapters of this book.

About the Contributors

J. Spencer Clark is an Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies at Kansas State University. He has used action research methodology for the past 17 years, in K-12 schools and higher education. More recently, for the past 10 years he has taught action research methods to teachers in graduate and licensure degree programs. He also has led secondary student action research projects in Indiana, Utah, and Kansas. Clark also utilizes action research methodology in his own research. Much of his research has focused on understanding and developing teacher agency through clinical and professional learning experiences that utilize aspects of digital communication, inquiry, collaboration, and personalized learning. He has published in a variety of journals and edited books on teacher education, technology, inquiry-based learning, and curriculum development.

Suzanne Porath has been an English Language Arts, history, and humanities classroom teacher and reading teacher for 13 years before becoming a teacher educator. She has taught in Wisconsin and American international schools in Brazil, Lithuania, and Aruba when she conducted her own action research projects. Before accepting her current position as an assistant professor at Kansas State University in Curriculum and Instruction, she taught at Concordia University and Edgewood College in Wisconsin. She has taught action research methods at the graduate level and facilitated professional development through action research in school districts. She is the lead editor of Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research  https://newprairiepress.org/networks/ .

Julie Thiele , PhD. is an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University.  She teaches math education courses, math and science education courses and graduate research courses. Prior to teaching at KSU, she taught elementary and middle school, and led her district level professional learning community, focusing on implementing effective, research-based teaching practices.

Morgan M. Jobe is a program coordinator in the College of Education at Kansas State University, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Morgan taught high school English-Language Arts for ten years in two different Kansas school districts before returning to Kansas State University as a staff member. Her research interests include diversity and equity issues in public education, as well as action research in teacher education programs.

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21 Action Research Examples (In Education)

Action research is an example of qualitative research . It refers to a wide range of evaluative or investigative methods designed to analyze professional practices and take action for improvement.

Commonly used in education, those practices could be related to instructional methods, classroom practices, or school organizational matters.

The creation of action research is attributed to Kurt Lewin , a German-American psychologist also considered to be the father of social psychology.

Gillis and Jackson (2002) offer a very concise definition of action research: “systematic collection and analysis of data for the purpose of taking action and making change” (p.264).

The methods of action research in education include:

• conducting in-class observations
• taking field notes
• surveying or interviewing teachers, administrators, or parents
• using audio and video recordings.

The goal is to identify problematic issues, test possible solutions, or simply carry-out continuous improvement.

There are several steps in action research : identify a problem, design a plan to resolve, implement the plan, evaluate effectiveness, reflect on results, make necessary adjustment and repeat the process.

Action Research Examples

• Digital literacy assessment and training: The school’s IT department conducts a survey on students’ digital literacy skills. Based on the results, a tailored training program is designed for different age groups.
• Library resources utilization study: The school librarian tracks the frequency and type of books checked out by students. The data is then used to curate a more relevant collection and organize reading programs.
• Extracurricular activities and student well-being: A team of teachers and counselors assess the impact of extracurricular activities on student mental health through surveys and interviews. Adjustments are made based on findings.
• Parent-teacher communication channels: The school evaluates the effectiveness of current communication tools (e.g., newsletters, apps) between teachers and parents. Feedback is used to implement a more streamlined system.
• Homework load evaluation: Teachers across grade levels assess the amount and effectiveness of homework given. Adjustments are made to ensure a balance between academic rigor and student well-being.
• Classroom environment and learning: A group of teachers collaborates to study the impact of classroom layouts and decorations on student engagement and comprehension. Changes are made based on the findings.
• Student feedback on curriculum content: High school students are surveyed about the relevance and applicability of their current curriculum. The feedback is then used to make necessary curriculum adjustments.
• Teacher mentoring and support: New teachers are paired with experienced mentors. Both parties provide feedback on the effectiveness of the mentoring program, leading to continuous improvements.
• Assessment of school transportation: The school board evaluates the efficiency and safety of school buses through surveys with students and parents. Necessary changes are implemented based on the results.
• Cultural sensitivity training: After conducting a survey on students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences, the school organizes workshops for teachers to promote a more inclusive classroom environment.
• Environmental initiatives and student involvement: The school’s eco-club assesses the school’s carbon footprint and waste management. They then collaborate with the administration to implement greener practices and raise environmental awareness.
• Working with parents through research: A school’s admin staff conduct focus group sessions with parents to identify top concerns.Those concerns will then be addressed and another session conducted at the end of the school year.
• Peer teaching observations and improvements: Kindergarten teachers observe other teachers handling class transition techniques to share best practices.
• PTA surveys and resultant action: The PTA of a district conducts a survey of members regarding their satisfaction with remote learning classes.The results will be presented to the school board for further action.
• Recording and reflecting: A school administrator takes video recordings of playground behavior and then plays them for the teachers. The teachers work together to formulate a list of 10 playground safety guidelines.
• Pre/post testing of interventions: A school board conducts a district wide evaluation of a STEM program by conducting a pre/post-test of students’ skills in computer programming.
• Focus groups of practitioners : The professional development needs of teachers are determined from structured focus group sessions with teachers and admin.
• School lunch research and intervention: A nutrition expert is hired to evaluate and improve the quality of school lunches.
• School nurse systematic checklist and improvements: The school nurse implements a bathroom cleaning checklist to monitor cleanliness after the results of a recent teacher survey revealed several issues.
• Wearable technologies for pedagogical improvements; Students wear accelerometers attached to their hips to gain a baseline measure of physical activity.The results will identify if any issues exist.
• School counselor reflective practice : The school counselor conducts a student survey on antisocial behavior and then plans a series of workshops for both teachers and parents.

Detailed Examples

1. cooperation and leadership.

A science teacher has noticed that her 9 th grade students do not cooperate with each other when doing group projects. There is a lot of arguing and battles over whose ideas will be followed.

So, she decides to implement a simple action research project on the matter. First, she conducts a structured observation of the students’ behavior during meetings. She also has the students respond to a short questionnaire regarding their notions of leadership.

She then designs a two-week course on group dynamics and leadership styles. The course involves learning about leadership concepts and practices . In another element of the short course, students randomly select a leadership style and then engage in a role-play with other students.

At the end of the two weeks, she has the students work on a group project and conducts the same structured observation as before. She also gives the students a slightly different questionnaire on leadership as it relates to the group.

She plans to analyze the results and present the findings at a teachers’ meeting at the end of the term.

2. Professional Development Needs

Two high-school teachers have been selected to participate in a 1-year project in a third-world country. The project goal is to improve the classroom effectiveness of local teachers. 

The two teachers arrive in the country and begin to plan their action research. First, they decide to conduct a survey of teachers in the nearby communities of the school they are assigned to.

The survey will assess their professional development needs by directly asking the teachers and administrators. After collecting the surveys, they analyze the results by grouping the teachers based on subject matter.

They discover that history and social science teachers would like professional development on integrating smartboards into classroom instruction. Math teachers would like to attend workshops on project-based learning, while chemistry teachers feel that they need equipment more than training.

The two teachers then get started on finding the necessary training experts for the workshops and applying for equipment grants for the science teachers.

3. Playground Accidents

The school nurse has noticed a lot of students coming in after having mild accidents on the playground. She’s not sure if this is just her perception or if there really is an unusual increase this year.  So, she starts pulling data from the records over the last two years. She chooses the months carefully and only selects data from the first three months of each school year.

She creates a chart to make the data more easily understood. Sure enough, there seems to have been a dramatic increase in accidents this year compared to the same period of time from the previous two years.

She shows the data to the principal and teachers at the next meeting. They all agree that a field observation of the playground is needed.

Those observations reveal that the kids are not having accidents on the playground equipment as originally suspected. It turns out that the kids are tripping on the new sod that was installed over the summer.

They examine the sod and observe small gaps between the slabs. Each gap is approximately 1.5 inches wide and nearly two inches deep. The kids are tripping on this gap as they run.

They then discuss possible solutions.

4. Differentiated Learning

Trying to use the same content, methods, and processes for all students is a recipe for failure. This is why modifying each lesson to be flexible is highly recommended. Differentiated learning allows the teacher to adjust their teaching strategy based on all the different personalities and learning styles they see in their classroom.

Of course, differentiated learning should undergo the same rigorous assessment that all teaching techniques go through. So, a third-grade social science teacher asks his students to take a simple quiz on the industrial revolution. Then, he applies differentiated learning to the lesson.

By creating several different learning stations in his classroom, he gives his students a chance to learn about the industrial revolution in a way that captures their interests. The different stations contain: short videos, fact cards, PowerPoints, mini-chapters, and role-plays.

At the end of the lesson, students get to choose how they demonstrate their knowledge. They can take a test, construct a PPT, give an oral presentation, or conduct a simulated TV interview with different characters.

During this last phase of the lesson, the teacher is able to assess if they demonstrate the necessary knowledge and have achieved the defined learning outcomes. This analysis will allow him to make further adjustments to future lessons.

5. Healthy Habits Program

While looking at obesity rates of students, the school board of a large city is shocked by the dramatic increase in the weight of their students over the last five years. After consulting with three companies that specialize in student physical health, they offer the companies an opportunity to prove their value.

So, the board randomly assigns each company to a group of schools. Starting in the next academic year, each company will implement their healthy habits program in 5 middle schools.

Preliminary data is collected at each school at the beginning of the school year. Each and every student is weighed, their resting heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol are also measured.

After analyzing the data, it is found that the schools assigned to each of the three companies are relatively similar on all of these measures.

At the end of the year, data for students at each school will be collected again. A simple comparison of pre- and post-program measurements will be conducted. The company with the best outcomes will be selected to implement their program city-wide.

Action research is a great way to collect data on a specific issue, implement a change, and then evaluate the effects of that change. It is perhaps the most practical of all types of primary research .

Most likely, the results will be mixed. Some aspects of the change were effective, while other elements were not. That’s okay. This just means that additional modifications to the change plan need to be made, which is usually quite easy to do.

There are many methods that can be utilized, such as surveys, field observations , and program evaluations.

The beauty of action research is based in its utility and flexibility. Just about anyone in a school setting is capable of conducting action research and the information can be incredibly useful.

Aronson, E., & Patnoe, S. (1997). The jigsaw classroom: Building cooperation in the classroom (2nd ed.). New York: Addison Wesley Longman.

Gillis, A., & Jackson, W. (2002). Research Methods for Nurses: Methods and Interpretation . Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.

Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of SocialIssues, 2 (4), 34-46.

Macdonald, C. (2012). Understanding participatory action research: A qualitative research methodology option. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 13 , 34-50. https://doi.org/10.33524/cjar.v13i2.37 Mertler, C. A. (2008). Action Research: Teachers as Researchers in the Classroom . London: Sage.

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

2 thoughts on “21 Action Research Examples (In Education)”

Where can I capture this article in a better user-friendly format, since I would like to provide it to my students in a Qualitative Methods course at the University of Prince Edward Island? It is a good article, however, it is visually disjointed in its current format. Thanks, Dr. Frank T. Lavandier

Hi Dr. Lavandier,

I’ve emailed you a word doc copy that you can use and edit with your class.

Best, Chris.

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Action Research for Science Teachers

The Science Teacher—February 2020 (Volume 87, Issue 6)

By Scott B. Watson and Michelle J. Barthlow

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The purpose of educational research in general is to develop information which can be used to improve education. Alexakos (2015) stated that teachers conduct research to answer these questions about their own practice: How am I doing? How can I improve? What works? To answer these questions, teachers may conduct action research.

Action research

Action research is a special form of educational research. Gall, Gall, and Borg (2007) , authors of some of the most respected educational research texts, define action research as: “A type of applied research the purpose of which is the improvement of education professional’s own practice.” Lesha (2014) describes action research as being a cyclical or spiral process that begins with a teacher-researcher identifying a problem, investigating the problem, taking action, evaluating the results of the action, and then repeating the process. In doing so, teachers can develop the most appropriate strategies for their own classroom or school.

How is action research different?

Action research is not necessarily very different from other forms of educational research. The main difference is that it is conducted by practitioners in the schools instead of someone from outside the school, such as a university professor or another researcher. With schools focused on learning outcomes for students and the call for decisions based on student data, teachers need the skills and confidence to scientifically evaluate their own practice in order to make curriculum and instructional decisions. Action research provides teachers with the data needed to make informed decisions to benefit their students and improve their own classroom practice.

Action research is a great way for teachers to experience the 3D (three dimensional) approach of the Next Generation Science Standards ( NGSS ). NGSS incorporates the three dimensions of learning science: crosscutting concepts, science and engineering practices, and core ideas. As teachers embrace the NGSS , they will consider the crosscutting concepts of effective teaching and focus on the core ideas to be taught as they plan for instruction. Through action research, teachers can investigate their natural world—classroom instruction—to determine what is and is not resulting in learning gains for their students.

Educational trends without research

So why should science teachers be interested in research? Although most educational research is conducted by college professors and other professional researchers, teachers can enhance their own knowledge and may contribute to the research base through research in their own classrooms ( Abell 2007 ). Science teachers, because of the nature of their discipline, have a natural interest in research, and often have a good understanding of research methods.

Teachers seem to know many things intuitively (and through experience). A good example is using a hands-on approach to teaching science. The idea is that simply doing many activities is conducive to learning, which is not necessarily the case. Research findings indicate that if students do not fully understand what the activity is all about, very little learning really occurs ( Gough 1990 ; Nadelson 2009 ). In order to maximize learning (and achievement), a minds-on approach should be added to the hands-on approach. This should include using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in addition to simply participating in an activity ( Lumpe and Oliver 1991 ).

As another example of the practicality of conducting and understanding research for science teachers, consider the case of Mr. Nolan, a young chemistry teacher. Almost all of Mr. Nolan’s classes in college included midterm and final exams, mostly using a multiple-choice format. When he started teaching, he followed the same model with his own students. His whole evaluation system was based on teacher-made tests.

In an effort to increase his own knowledge in science and in education, Mr. Nolan enrolled in a graduate degree program at his local university. One of the early courses he completed was in educational research. During that time, he learned about reliability (internal consistency) of tests. Reliability is normally determined on a scale of 0 to 1, with 1 being perfect. It is an indicator of the precision, consistency, and stability of an instrument ( Gall, Gall, and Borg 2007 , p. 149).

One of his projects was to determine the reliability of one of his own tests. He picked one that he considered his best, and he ran a reliability figure using one of many available computer programs. Much to his dismay, he found that the reliability of his prized, multiple-choice measure was a .58, which is substantially lower than what is minimally acceptable for research purposes. He realized that relying on imperfect tests alone for grading purposes was a mistake. This discovery changed his teaching almost immediately, and he started including more projects, presentations, and practical labs as part of his assessment system. This also produced greater interest and participation among his students.

Basics of research methods: qualitative vs. quantitative

Two types of research methods are qualitative and quantitative studies. Denzin and Lincoln (1994) describe qualitative research as “interpretive, naturalistic….Qualitative researchers study things in their natural setting, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.” Quantitative research “…describes and explains…reality by collecting numerical data on observable behaviors…and by subjecting these data to statistical analysis” ( Gall, Gall, and Borg 2007 ).

Qualitative research differs from quantitative research in that it depends on numerical data; no statistics are needed. Qualitative research methods include interviews, surveys, and observations. Teachers could prepare a questionnaire to determine what methods and activities students feel are most beneficial to their learning. For more in-depth information, a teacher could conduct interviews with students.

A focus group of students can provide valuable insight into their experience in the classroom. Ary, Jacobs, and Sorenson (2010) point out that an advantage of a focus group is that participants respond not only to the interviewer but also to each other. These student-to-student interactions can result in more information than is typically collected in a one-on-one interview or survey.

Quantitative research is the systematic study of the relationships among variables. A variable is anything that can change during a study. An independent variable is sometimes referred to as the manipulated variable as it is deliberately changed (manipulated) during an experiment. A dependent, or responding, variable is one that may change as a result of the experiment. A controlled variable is a variable that you try to keep constant during the experiment. An extraneous variable is an outside or unknown variable that you have no control over.

Further explorations

For an action research project, Ms. Jones is curious about using the flipped classroom model, in which students first watch instructional videos outside of class and do homework and practice problems in class ( Brunsell and Horejsi 2013 ). For one unit of study, she decides to teach half of her class periods using the flipped model and the other half using the traditional model, where students engage in learning activities in class and do homework at home. She will give the same unit assessment to each group and compare the results.

Her independent variable is classroom pedagogy (flipped classroom vs. traditional). Her dependent variables are unit test results. The controlled variables include the length of time for the unit, the state standards, and the homework practice problems utilized. The examples given in class and on the teaching videos are all the same. Ms. Jones will compare the two group’s performance on the unit test using a t- test, which will allow her to determine if one group performs significantly better than the other on the assessment based on her pedagogy. Knowing what works best for students in her classroom will allow Ms. Jones to improve her teaching skills and will likely increase learning for her students.

Correlation studies

Simple forms of correlation research can be used to determine if there is a relationship between two continuous variables. A continuous variable is one that has a maximum value and a minimum value and can be any value in between ( Gall, Gall, and Borg 2007 ). A correlation will not show causation but will show if a relationship exists between two variables. An example action research project would be to determine if using a web-based practice quiz site prepares students for tests. A correlation could be performed to determine if the number of practice problems a student answers correctly correlates with their summative test score.

Quasi-experimental and causal-comparative designs

Statistical analysis, free statistical calculators.

Many statistical tests are available at no cost online or using Microsoft Excel. Some can even be performed with scientific or advanced calculators. Statistical analysis sources may be found by doing simple internet searches. One example of a free online resource for performing statistical calculations is GraphPad .

Getting started

Science teachers, due to their content training, have a real head start on most teachers in other fields when it comes to conducting research. Science teachers also have an advantage in their understanding of research because they already know that research can be fun, so get started!

Ary D., Jacobs L.C., and Sorenson C.. 2010. Introduction to research in education (8th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Brodie K. 2013. The power of professional learning communities. Education As Change 17 (1): 5–18. doi:10.1080/16823206.2013.773929

Brunsell E., and Horejsi M.. 2013. Science 2.0: A flipped classroom in action. The Science Teacher 80 (2): 8.

Denzin N.K., and Lincoln Y.S.. 2014. Handbook of qualitative research. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.

Gall M., Gall J., and Borg W.. 2007. Educational research: An introduction . Boston: Pearson.

Gough P. B., Ed. 1990. Hands-on/minds-on: Making science accessible. Kappan 71 (9).

Lesha J. 2014. Action research in education . European Scientific Journal 10, 379.

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